Company News
ExxonMobil opens Singapore butyl and resins plants
On 21 June 2018 ExxonMobil announced it had started production of hydrogenated hydrocarbon resin and halobutyl rubber at its integrated manufacturing complex in Singapore, the company’s largest integrated refining and petrochemical complex in the world. ExxonMobil’s new Escorez hydrogenated hydrocarbon resins plant will be the world’s largest with a capacity of 90,000 tonnes per year, and will meet long-term demand growth for hot-melt adhesives used in packaging or baby diapers. The new 140,000-tonnes-per-year butyl plant will produce premium halobutyl rubber used by manufacturers for tyres to better maintain inflation to improve fuel economy.
Pro-Align launches two-day aftersales commitment
Pro-Align has launched a new commitment to visit customers with a valid aftersales agreement within two days of receiving a reported issue on Hunter equipment. For customers where a visit cannot be completed within the agreed time frame, no charge will be made for the resulting repair. The garage equipment distributor said the new commitment has been made in response to a growing number of workshops’ reliance on Hunter wheel servicing equipment for profit maximisation.
Goodyear CFO Laura K. Thompson to retire
Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company executive vice president and chief financial officer (CFO) Laura K. Thompson is to retire in the first quarter of 2019 after 35 years of service.
Autoelectro maintains ISO quality standards
Autoelectro is proud to report that it has successfully gained recertification/transition to ISO 9001:2015, ISO 14001:2015 and OHSAS 18001:2007 accreditations following its recent annual surveillance visit.
EDT Automotive signs nine garages to network during Automechanika debut
EDT Automotive, the multi-award winning engine decontamination specialist, has enjoyed a phenomenally successful debut show at this year’s Automechanika Birmingham, signing nine garages live on the stand as well as co-sponsoring the event’s Garage of the Year awards.
TechMan announces partnership at Automechanika Birmingham
TechMan, the fast-growing garage management system provider, enjoyed a hugely successful Automechanika Birmingham debut at the NEC in Birmingham from June 5-7.
Vacu-Lug becomes Hankook Alphatread UK retread partner
Vacu-Lug has become the new retread manufacturing partner for Hankook in the UK. The company signalled its new status by including the manufacturer’s Alphatread retreading brand on its stand at the Commercial Vehicle Show (24-26 April, Birmingham NEC), coinciding with the beginning of production of the Alphatread bead-to-bead retread truck tyre range at the Vacu-Lug factory in Grantham.
Vacu-Lug begins manufacturing Hankook’s Alphatread range
Vacu-Lug has begun production of Hankook’s Alphatread truck tyre range at its factory in Grantham, Lincolnshire. The bead-to-bead retread tyre range is designed for medium haul fleets, and consists of four sizes. For drive axles, the R-DH05 is available in 295/80R22.5, 315/80R22.5 and 315/70R22.5 and for trailer axles, the R-TH22 is available in 385/65R22.5.
German government gets tough with Daimler and VW over emissions
The German government has ordered car maker Daimler to recall 238,000 vehicles in Germany after they were found to be fitted with illegal software that masks diesel emissions.
Behr Hella Service introduces QR codes on packaging
With immediate effect, thermal management expert Behr Hella Service will print a QR code on all its product packaging labels. This will enable wholesalers and workshops to get product information on their smartphones.
Trump puts 25% import tariff on Chinese aircraft tyres
US president Donald Trump has announced plans to impose 25 per cent tariffs on US$50 billion worth of Chinese goods, according to various leading news sources. The tariffs affecting over 800 products including aircraft tyres and are due to come into effect on 6 July. The White House said it would consult on tariffs on the other $16 billion of products with a view to applying these later.
GKN Wheels invests in Danish plant
GKN Wheels and Structures is commissioning a brand new manufacturing cell at its plant in Nagbøl, Denmark. The programme will see the introduction of robotic technology, with the largest and fastest robot in Denmark being installed to improve both the company’s speed of manufacture and flexibility of production. On completion, the new manufacturing cell will be capable of producing very small batch sizes efficiently and cost-effectively, with changeover times brought down to an absolute minimum. Depending on customer’s specific requirements, the new production cell can also weld different valve guards and make a high spot mark.
Falken 2017/2018 UHP test successes a result of manufacturing improvements
Sumitomo Rubber Industries’ Falken brand has reached new levels of performance over the past few years, evinced by its latest range of high performance car tyres picking up magazine test plaudits against premium brand competition.
Victra Sport 5 UHP tyre to take Maxxis ‘to the next level’
Maxxis’s new Victra Sport 5 received its full launch at The Tire Cologne, as the June issue of Tyres & Accessories went to press (see Tyres & Accessories' July issue for a more in-depth write-up). The new tyre is the latest in the brand’s range to target premium brand performance at a lower cost.
European FinTyre Distribution buys Reifen Krieg
European FinTyre Distribution Limited (EfTD), one of the largest Pan European tyre distributors, has agreed to acquire the privately held Reifen Krieg Group, a leading full-range tyre wholesaler in Germany. As a result, EfTD is set to become the market leader in two key European countries, Germany and Italy, with 1.1 billion euros of total revenue. According to EfTD, Reifen Krieg’s current owners, Holger Krieg and Tobias Fink, will continue as the group's managing directors